Potato-planter.



PATENTED NOV; 17, 1903.

G. H. ELMER.

POTATO PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1903.

2 sums-SEEM 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903. G. H. ELMER. I POTATO PLANTER. APPLICATION IILEDJULY 27, 1903.

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m: NORRIS PETERS Pnpgmu'mm WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STAT S iatented. November 1?, 190a.

PATENT OFFICE.

POTAQTO-PLANTEIR,

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 744,181, dated November17, 1903.

Application filed m 27, 1903.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HARVEY EL- MER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pleasant Valley, in the county of Baker and State ofOregon, have invented a new and useful Potato-Planter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for planting potatoes; and it has forits object to provide a device of this class which shall possesssuperior advantages in point of simplicity durability, and generalefficiency.

Another object of this invention is to so" construct my improvedpotato-planter that it may be mounted for operation upon the frame of acheck-row corn-planter of ordinary construction, thereby effecting agreat saving in the carrying-trucks.

A further object of my invention is to so construct my improvedpotato-planting device that it may be operated continuously as a drillor intermittently as by the check-rowing mechanism of the planter-frameupon which it is mounted.

With these and other ends in view my invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My improved potato-planting device may, as aforesaid, be mounted uponthe frame of an ordinary check-row corn-planter, while at the same timeit may obviously be provided with a specially-constructedcarrying-frame. In the accompanying drawingsI have shown my invention asmounted upon the frame of an ordinary corn-planter, and I desireit to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to the precise structural details,but reserve the right to any changes of shape, proportions,

or general assemblage of parts which may be resorted to within the scopeof my invention. In said drawings, Figure 1 is a'perspective view of myimproved potato-planter, showing the same applied to the frame of acheck-row planter. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the potatoplanter detached from the check-rower frame. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view taken on the line 3 3 in. Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is aperspective detail view showing a portion of Serial No. 1671200. (Nomodel.)

one of the disks with one of the pickers and doffers.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

The planter frame is composed of the wheel-frame 1 and the runner-frame2, which are suitably connected, said wheel-frame being supported uponthe axle 3, carrying the traction and covering wheels 4, while therunner-frame includes in its construction the runners or furrow-openers5, the check-row mechanism 6, the connecting-bar 7, and the tongue 8.

The main frame of my improved machine supports a base-board 9, providedat its rear corners with recesses for the passage of the rims of thetransporting-wheels. The base 9 is provided at the ends thereof withuprights 11, in the upper ends of which is journaled a shaft 12, whichmay be provided at the ends thereof with nuts 13 in order to preventlateral displacement. In the example shown in the drawings the uprightsare simply constructed of suitably braced L- shaped brackets, which aremounted upon the base and the upward-extending arms of which areperforated for the reception of the screw-threaded ends of the shaft 12,which is retained in said'openings by the nuts 13. I do not limit myselfto this construction; but I have described and illustrated the same onaccount of its inexpensiveness, an important object of myinvention beingto furnish a machine which will effectively accomplish the work forwhich it is intended at a very moderate expense.

Uprights 14 rising from the base 9 support a hopper 15, the central partof the bottom of which is preferably of inverted -V shape, as shown at16, whereby the hopper will be divided into two separate compartmentshaving contracted bottoms, from which auxiliary hoppers 17 extenddownwardly and outwardly, as shown, the lower edges of said auxiliaryhoppers being preferably segmental and concentric with-the axis of theshaft 12. The

auxiliary hoppers 17 are composed 'of the ICO is mounted revolubly uponthe shaft 12, and which said disks will be more clearly described.Suitably secured to the frontside of the funnels of the auxiliaryhoppers are the dropping-tubes 22, which are simply composed of flangedplates, the outer sides of said dropping-tubes being also formed by therevoluble disks 21. The latter, which are dished or convexo-concave, inthe manner of ordinary plow or cultivator disks, are mounted securelyupon the tube 12 by means of set-screws extending through the hubs ofsaid disks and engaging the said tube. These disks, while they areutilized to close or to form the outer walls of the auxiliary hoppersand the dropping-tubes, are not placed absolutely tightly against theflanges constituting the front and rear walls of said auxiliary hoppersand dropping-tubes, but a sufficient distance from said flanges to udmitof the passage of the planting devices, which will be now more fullydescribed.

Suitably secured upon the inner side of each of the revoluble disks 21is a plurality of equidistantly-spaced shanks 24, which in practice maybe about one-half inch in length and which carry laterally-extendingprongs 25, forming pickers, which may be described as lying parallel tothe peripheries of the disks. These pickers, the points of which extendforwardly when at the upper limit of the movement of the disk to whichthey are attached, are disposed at a distance from the edge of said diskto permit them to pass within the lower ends of the auxiliary hopperswhen the machine is in operation. In suitable proximity to each of thepickers is pivotally mounted a lever 26, one end of which has a raisedportion 27, forming a doffer which engages against the under side of thepicker, the opposite end of said lever being provided with acounterweight 28, the movement of which is limited by means of a stud29, suitably projecting from the inner face of the disk. Secured to thefront side of the hopper directly above the dropping-tubes 22 aretrip'bars 30,extending transversely across said tubes and adapted toengage the counterweights of the dotting-levers for the purpose ofactuating the latter at the point of discharge.

Suitably mounted upon the inner sides of the ends of the main hopper areverticallymovable slides 34, which extend into the auxiliary hoppers andby means of which the supply of potatoes from the main into theauxiliary hoppers may be accurately regulated in order to prevent saidauxiliary hoppers from being choked. The operation of this part of myinvention will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription,taken in connection with the accompanying drawlugs.

Motion may be imparted to the tube 12 by means of a chain 31, connectingthe sprocketwheel 32 upon said tube with a sprocket 33 upon the axle ofthe main frame of the machine, the speed of the dropping mechanism beingregulated by the relative sizes of the said sprocket-Wheels, whereby thepotatoes may be dropped at any desired distance apart. When the machineprogresses over the field and the tube 12 revolves, the disks 21, whichconstitute the outer sides or walls of the auxiliary hoppers and of thedropping-tubes, will be rotated in the direction indicated by arrows. Asthe pickers pass through the lower portions of the auxiliary hoppers,which, as stated, are preferably segmental in shape in order that noobstruction may be presented to the rotation of the disks, the pickersupon said disks will unfailingly engage the potatoes or spuds containedin the auxiliary hoppers, the dolfers being by the engaging action ofthe pickers forced into engagement with the shanks of the latter, whilethe potatoes adhere to the pickers with a sufiicient degree of firmnessto enable them to be carried to the point of discharge. WVhen the latteris reached, or when, in other words, the pickers are disposed directlyabove the upper ends of the dropping-tubes, the weighted ends of thedofling-levers will be engaged by the drop-bars 30, thus tripping thedofiers and depositing the potatoes in the droppingtubes. As therotation of the disks progresses, the weighted ends of the dotfers willrestore the latter to their proper position in engagement with theshanks of the pickers, so that the action of the potatoes engaging saidpickers shall not be altogether relied upon to force the said dolfersinto position. It is obvious that the movement of the dotfing-levers islimited by the studs 29, which engage the weighted ends of said levers.It is also evident that the weighted ends of the doffinglevers willproject beyond the peripheries of the disks, the intermediate fiatportions of the dotting-levers being of such a thickness that they maypass through the spaces between the edges of the disks and the adjacentwalls of the auxiliary hoppers and the doffing-tubes, while said spaceswould be too narrow to admit the weighted ends of the lever.

The rear side of the hopper 15 is provided with bearings for arock-shaft 36, having a downwardly-extending arm 37, which lies in thepath of a trigger 38, secured upon the revoluble tube 12. A spring 39 issuitably disposed to rotate the rock-shaft 36 in the direction oppositeto that in which it is actuated by the trigger 38. The ends of therock-shaft 36 are provided with arms 40, extending through openings llin the rear side wall of the hopper, and the said arms 40 are providedwith agitators ll, which serve to agitate the contents of the main andauxiliary hoppers, so that choking of the feed will be prevented.

When my improved potato-planting device, as in the drawings heretoannexed, is mounted upon the frame of a check-row cornplanter, theseedboxes and valves of the latter are removed, and the upper ends ofthe runnertubes may be provided with funnels 42, which are connectedwith the lower ends of the dropping-tubes 22 by means of aconductingtube 43, which may be secured by means of brackets to thefront corners of the base of the potato-planting attachment.

If it is desired to plant the potatoes in hills or check-rows, this maybe readily accomplished by the use of tappet-Wires of ordinaryconstruction the latter being stretched across the field, so as tocooperate with the checkrow mechanism of the planter, from which motionmay then be imparted to the tubular shaft 12 by any well-known mechanismor mode of transmission. Similarly, Whenever desired, thepotato-planting mechanism may be removed from the frame of thecornplanter, and the latter may then, by restoring the parts thereofwhich have been temporarily removed, be utilized for the purpose ofplanting corn.

As will be seen from the foregoing, my improved potato-planting deviceis simple in construction, effective in operation, and may be suppliedat a very small expense. Considering the simplicity of its construction,it will be found that my improved machine is of Very large capacity andthat the work performed thereby is in every respect perfect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a potato-planter,'ahopper, auxiliary hoppers connected therewith, and having bevel-edgedextension-plates, dropping-tubes comprising flanged plates connectedwith the front sides of the auxiliary hoppers, and revoluble disksconstituting the outer sides of said auxiliary hoppers anddropping-tubes.

2. In a potato-planter, a hopper, auxiliary hoppers connected therewith,and having bevel-edged extension-plates, dropping-tubes comprisingflanged plates connected with the front sides of said auxiliary-hoppers,revoluble disks constituting the outer walls of said auxiliary hoppersand dropping-tubes, pickers mounted upon the inner sides of said disks,dofflng-levers associated with said.

upon the inner sides of the end pieces of the hopper. I

4:. In a potato-planter, a hopper, a central inverted-V-shaped partitiontherein converting said hopper into' two compartments, auxiliary hoppersconnected with said compartments and having beveledged extensionplates,gage-slides mounted upon the inner ends of said hopper and extendinginto the said auxiliary hoppers, revoluble disks constituting the outerwalls of said auxiliary hoppers, pickers and doffers associated withsaid revoluble disks, dropping-tubes, and tripping means extendingacross the latter to actuate the doffers.

5. In a potato-planter, a hopper, auxiliary hoppers connected therewith,and having bevel-edged, extension-plates, dropping-tubes comprisingflanged plates connected with said auxiliary hoppers, asuitably-supported revoluble shaft, disks supported upon said shaft andconstituting the outer side walls of the auxiliary hoppers, and thedropping-tubes, pickers and doffers associated with'said disks, aspring-actuated rock-shaft mounted upon the rear side of the hopper, andhaving arms extending through the rear wall of said hopper, agitatorsupon said arms, and means for transmitting motion from the revolubleshaft to said rock-shaft.

6. In a potato-planter, the combination of revoluble disks associatedwith and constituting the outer walls of hoppers and dropping-tubes,said disks being spaced from the flanges constituting the end walls ofsaid hoppers and tubes, pickers disposed upon the inner sides of saiddisks, and approximately parallel to the edges thereof, doffing-leverspivotally connected with the disks and having raised ends engaging theunder sides of the pickers, counterweights at the opposite ends of saiddoffing-levers, and studs to limit the motion of the latter under theimpulse of the counterweights.

7. In adevice of the class described, the combination of aplanter-frame, abase mounted upon the latter, uprights at the ends ofsaid base, a shaft mounted in said uprights, a tube revoluble upon saidshaft, a main hopper supported upon the base, auxiliary hoppersassociated with said main hopper, dropping-tubes connected with saidauxiliary hoppers, disks secured upon the revoluble tubularshaft andconstituting the outer walls of the auxiliary hoppers and thedroppingtubes, pickers and doffers associated with said pickers,trip-bars secured to the main GEORGE HARVEY ELMER.

Witnesses:

W. V. WARD, CHAS. J OKERS.

IIO

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